Small Wind Turbines, Especially VAWTs Look Cool, But Don’t Have Cool Paybacks!

Even as they become more common, small-scale wind turbines remain a source of dispute in the renewable energy community, says this article.

And I completely agree. Every second day, someone asks me if he or she should put up a small wind turbine on their rooftop. And my short answer has always been “No”.

The truth is, small wind sounds good on paper, but rarely works well in urban environments that have low wind regimes. Sure, vertical axis wind turbines could to some extent take care of the low wind speeds, but they are very costly.

VAWTs also are more aesthetic, but well, are you looking for beauty or something that provides you power

Proponents say small wind turbines are ready to be an indispensable part of any home or small business’s energy mix, while critics say they’re inherently expensive and inefficient.